


Another F-cking Reincarnation AU

by unusuallyeddie



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: AU where reincarnation is normal but you dont always remember your past life, Gwaine is the love of my life and I wish I included him more but I didnt, M/M, Merlin has Struggles(TM), Poor Merlin, i always do him dirty, minor Gwen/Morgana - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-07-13 05:38:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16011386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unusuallyeddie/pseuds/unusuallyeddie
Summary: Merlin had been living a personal hell for the past several hundred years.But now, things were only about to get more complicated.





	Another F-cking Reincarnation AU

Merlin had been living a personal hell for the past several hundred years.

Every time-every damn time his friends were reincarnated at the same time as him, they had no memory. Yet every time, he approached, and only got confused glances and awkward small talk. God, it hurt. It hurt so badly.

Especially when it came to Arthur. There was nothing Merlin wanted more than his king back,  _ his _ king,  _ his _ Arthur. But he never remembered, not a damn thing.

So this time, Merlin was keeping his distance, avoiding the inevitable heartbreak that would ensue.

This time he wouldn’t get hurt.

~   


“That can’t be Arthur Pendragon I see!” Came an all too familiar voice from behind Arthur. He turned, only to come face to face with a young man with shaggy brown hair and a cocky gait.

“Gwaine.” Arthur greeted warmly, pulling his old knight in for a short hug, before releasing his and holding him at arm's length. “God, you haven’t changed a bit.”   


“Neither have you, Princess.” Gwaine said cheekily. Arthur rolled his eyes. “Say, have you seen any of the others?”   


“Not yet.” Arthur answered, eyes going to rove the hallways of their little school. “But something tells me they aren’t far behind.”   


“Let’s hope.” Gwaine said, before smirking. “Can’t wait to see Gwen again.”   


Arthur scowled playfully. “You keep your mitts off my wife, Sir.” He scolded, laughing.

Gwaine laughed along. “You’re far less uptight then you used to be. New century treating you well then?”   


“I don’t have a kingdom to run this time, so yeah.” Arthur deadpanned, sending the two into laughter once more. The blonde recovered quickly, scanning the hallway once more for another familiar face, deflating when he saw nothing.

Gwaine, ever the quick one, caught on. “You haven’t found him yet then?” He said sympathetically.

Arthur sighed. “Not even a trace.”   


~   


Merlins eyes widened as he saw the two boys laughing together. Dear gods, how were Arthur and Gwaine even friends if chances were they didn’t remember this time around?   


He ducked down a hallway quickly to avoid Arthurs roaming eyes, unwilling to be on the end of that intense stare and be able to do nothing about it.

Gods, this was so unfair.

~

“Oh my god, is that Merlin?” Gwen said, eyes wide as she looked across the classroom. Morgana, sitting next to her, looked over to where the other girl was indicating. Her eyebrows raised.

“I believe it is.” She said slowly. “He looks terrible, doesn’t he?”   


Gwen frowned. “I wouldn’t phrase it like that, but he certainly looks downtrodden. Why do you think that is?”   


“He’s probably searching for my idiotic brother.” Morgana snorted. “Shall we corner him after class?”   


Gwen gave her old princess a smile. “I do believe we shall.”   


~   


Merlin cursed under his breath as he saw what looked to be Gwen and Morgana chatting and heading straight towards his. The old gods really did have it out for him today, didn’t they?   


He turned abruptly and used his long legs to his advantage, hightailing it away from them in hopes that he could avoid the inevitable conversation of ‘you-look-familiar’ and ‘do-I-know-you?’

It never hurt any less, did it?   


~   


It didn’t take long for Gwen and Arthur to find each other.

“Guinevere?” Arthurs deep voice carried through even the loud school hallway, and Gwen froze, turning around slowly.

“Arthur?” She called back, before catching sight of him, grinning widely at her just like he used to. She let out a choked out sob, rushing forward into his arms, laughing wetly as he lifted her off the ground in his enthusiasm. “I missed you, you great prat.” She was still laughing, arms tight around his neck, face buried in his hair as she stood on her toes.

“And I, you.” Arthur said warmly. 

Even back in Camelot, despite not being as in love as they claimed to be, the two had always been remarkably close. With Gwen still harboring feelings for Morgana and Arthur for Merlin, the two found solace in each other, and eventually had gotten married for the good of the kingdom. 

So yeah, it was indescribable to be reunited.

Eventually Gwen pulled away, wiping her eyes quickly on the sleeve of her dress, grinning up at the blonde. “Who else is here? It’s been so long since we were all together.”   


“I’ve found Gwaine, of all bloody people.” Arthur rolled his eyes jokingly. “But so far that’s it. And you?”   


“I found Morgana.” Gwen said, ignoring Arthurs raised eyebrows. “And...I believe I found Merlin.”   


Arthurs breath caught in his throat. “You did?” He said quietly, not daring to believe it.

Gwen beamed at him. “Yes, but I haven’t had the chance to speak with him.” Shwe suddenly frowned. “To be honest, I’m not quite sure if he remembers. He seems so...different.”

Arthurs lips thinned into a line. “I’ll be sure to find him.” He said, more to himself than to the girl in front of him.

He had to find Merlin.

He had to.

~   


Merlin turned away bitterly as he watched Gwen and Arthur embrace in the hallway. Of course. Of course they managed to be a couple when they didn’t even know why they cared so deeply for each other. 

Merlin never even stood a chance with Arthur, not when he was a prince, certainly not when he was a king, and now not even when they were equals.

He would never stand a chance.

~   


The reunion between Morgana and Arthur was short and emotional, comprised mainly of both of them apologizing for their past actions and hugging briefly before they both settled back into their cool, royal masks that they never would quite manage to get rid of. Gwaine and Gwen watched, amused, and Gwaine occasionally made rude comments on everyone's behalf as he always did.

“So...what's the plan with Merlin?” Morgana said casually, as if that statement didn't make Arthur want to rip his own heart out of his chest.

“I don’t know.” Arthur said grimly. “If he doesn’t remember, he doesn’t remember. There’s nothing we can do.”   


Gwaine protested loudly, but Arthur quieted him with one raised hand, still a king through and through.

Gwen frowned thoughtfully. “But what if he does remember? What will you do then?”

Arthur shrugged helplessly in response.

“Seduce him, you moron.” Morgana said, rolling her perfectly made up eyes. “Get the boy you’ve been fawning over for the past few centuries.”   


“I don’t fawn!” Arthur snapped at her, but she merely laughed, not rising to the bait.

“Please, now is not the time to fight.” Gwen said with the weariness that could only come with having to deal with the Pendragon siblings. “We need an actual plan.”   


“I agree with Morgana.” Gwaine shrugged. “Just seduce him. He was always head over heels for you mate, it won’t be hard or nothin’.”   


Arthurs head jerked up. “He was?”   


Gwaine stared at him blankly. “You mean you didn’t know?”   


“Of course he didn’t.” Morgana sighed. “ _ Boys. _ ”   


Gwaine continued. “He literally followed you everywhere and constantly dealt with your royal arse. How did you not notice?”   


“It was his job.” Arthur said, but now the cogs in his brain were turning. Merlin was always awfully willing for a servant, and their dynamic was always a certain way, and…

“Oh my god I’m an idiot.” Arthur declared, earning a sympathetic smile from Gwen.   


“A bit, yeah.” She said.

~   


Merlin, not to be dramatic or anything, was actually dying.

Somehow, Gwaine, Arthur, Morgana, and Gwen had all become friends. Someone out there must really have it out for Merlin.

_ Perhaps they remember,  _ a nagging voice in the back of his head would say. But no, Merlin couldn't afford to think like that. They never remembered before, why would they now? No, it was best just to stay away and not risk it.

~   


Arthur gritted his teeth. It had been weeks since school started, and he still hadn’t seen Merlin anywhere. If he didn’t know better, he would say the other boy was ignoring him.

That is, until he saw a familiar mop of dark hair walking down the hallway.

His heart stopped in his chest, and without thinking, he ran up to the lanky boy, grabbing his shoulder and whirling him around, ignoring the loud “HEY!” and just drinking in the sight of Merlins blue eyes and full lips, those ridiculous cheekbones, and those big ears. The face he had fallen in love with all those years ago.

“Merlin.” He breathed out.

~   


And just like that, Merlin came to a realization and his resolve broke.

“Arthur?” He whispered, barely willing to believe it. “You...you remember?”   


Arthur nodded, eyes darting all over Merlins face, as if re-memorizing the features he had already committed to memory.

And then, Merlin reared back and slapped him.   


“Do you know-do you  _ bloody _ know-how many reincarnations I have gone through? Do you know how many times I have found you, only for you not to remember me? Or anything?” Merlin was crying now, hot tears streaming down his face as he yelled at a dumbstruck Arthur, ignoring the classmates that were gathered around for the show. “Do you know how many times you’ve broken me, only for me to get my hopes up once more every time you came around? Damn you, Arthur Pendragon, damn you to hell!” 

He finished his rant by grabbing Arthur and pulling him into a rough hug, pressing his face into Arthurs neck and letting himself breath in the scent he never forgot.

Arthur rubbed a hand up and down Merlins spine, ignoring the whispers of the teengaers around them. “I’m so sorry, Merlin. I’m so sorry.” He muttered, holding the other boy tighter.

Gwaine, Morgana, and Gwen all watched from a safe distance, exchanging looks with each other.

It was all going to work out, this time around.

~   


Sure enough, it did. After a long conversation and a lot of tears, Merlin became a part of their group, and he and Arthur were back to being as inseparable as they always were, only now with a lot more PDA. Gwen and Morgana quickly became the next couple, and Gwaine went back to pulling in a different person each month, his playboy reputation quickly spreading through the school and becoming a joke amongst his friends.

Merlin smiled to himself as he glanced around the lunch table, taking in all his old friends and letting it wash over him that they were back. They were with him once more. It may have taken longer than he had hoped for, but honestly?   


He wouldn't have them any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for 0dannyphantom0 on Tumblr, thanks for the prompt love!


End file.
